Media statement by the Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS: Gatherings in Tshwane on Wednesday 2 November 2016
Law enforcement agencies, led by the South African Police Service, were deployed in and around the Tshwane Central Business District (CBD) precinct from 18:00 on Tuesday, 1 November 2016 to 22:00 on Wednesday, 2 November 2016 to monitor and police a night vigil, a gathering and marches relating to the so-called State Capture Report and Save SA campaign. All three events had been authorised subject to agreed-upon conditions which were stipulated to ensure the safety of participants and bystanders and to ensure security at the events.
Two of these events, namely the gathering at the St Albans Cathedral and a march from Princess Park to the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, both in the CBD, were peaceful and without incident.
Unfortunately the third event, which included a night vigil and a march by Economic Freedom Front (EFF) supporters, was in many instances marred by incidents of damage to property, looting, public violence, intimidation and attacks on the police.
Despite the fact that the EFF march was authorised to take place from Church Square to the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court only, and there was a commitment towards a peaceful march, the group contravened the conditions of the approval and converged on the Union Buildings, a National Key Point. There, the crowd behaved in an extremely unruly manner, attempted to force their way through the police line and onto the premises without success and hurled objects at the police members on duty. The police responded accordingly to restore order.
From early on Wednesday morning, before 06:00, sporadic incidents of violence and criminality occurred which included, inter alia, stones being thrown at vehicles and windows of premises, the looting of stores (most notably food and liquor outlets but including clothing and sportswear stores as well as an hotel), barricading of roads, the disruption of traffic and physical attacks on police members on duty.